City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Columbus | Council Bluffs | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,081/mo | $964/mo | 12.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $211,700 | $153,400 | 38.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $75,114 | $61,181 | 22.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.9 | 94.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.1 | 81.0 | 8.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.5 | 94.1 | 4.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 94.8 | 4.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Columbus, you'd need $100,023 in Council Bluffs to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus and Council Bluffs have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Columbus than in Council Bluffs. If you earn $80,000 in Columbus, you'd need about $80,018 in Council Bluffs to keep the same standard of living.